Return of the Emblem Chapter Twelve: Divergent Paths

[Ether]

"I mean I know that, but it's not like it would have made a difference... with how close I was to him anyway, and how out of it he was from all the wandering about and fighting off demons, if I was trying to assassinate him, it wouldn't have made much difference if he was resting his head on my lap or not..." Angelica replied with a quick scowl, before turning back to her regular cheery visage.

"So an Emblem piece, huh? You guys and Raquel both are looking for one... who gets this one if you manage to make out with it?" Angelica asked, leaving out any alternative options for... obvious reasons.

***

Unsure if that was a word of acceptance or a jab, Arietta chose not to comment on Weyland's choice of wording. After a short while, they had arrived at the dining hall, which was mostly deserted save for a few certain individuals... mainly the escort that was trying to probe in on them, and the pair of Fallen off to the corner.

Regardless of them, it was the three in front that were the current concern, and lack of banter meant that Steinn and his follower were being ignored for now. That was good, atleast.

***

With Raquel walking away in a bit of a huff, followed shortly by Reign and another woman that Faatina didn't recognize, the paladin decided she had best take her chance while the conversation had stopped, atleast. Jogging up to Reign, she gently tapped his shoulder.

"It's good to see you, Reign. You never came back... but I guess you went to see your parents, then?" She asked, before finally taking full notice of the rather important difference the man was sporting.

"Reign... what happened to your eye?"

[ReformBlade]

Jericho scratched his head, following somewhat behind Raquel and her friends, making no mention of things until Raquel pointed at some guy who decided to exeunt. He noted that the other girl asked Raquel a question, but he didn't feel like he was imposing too much when he asked, "Do you know the guy...?" I mean, I certainly don't, maybe that'll make a difference in what goes on here though?

[Phoenix]

Hall of Truth

"Veronika and Shadrak know who we're looking for," Raquel answered Nadine.

"So do I. A priestess named Io," Reign chimed in. "Just ask around like we did." To Faatina he said, "Twice, actually." Indeed, he had gone to see them twice, once before and once after his injury occurred. How often his plans were affected and promptly overwritten by other people's. "As for the eye ..." he paused to shrug and figure out how to word this ... "I was probably among the first couple of dozen people attacked last night. This was the result. It's still there but I'm effectively blind. It's less distracting with the eye closed and that's all the patch is really for."

Nadine sighed at that.

"Shouldn't effect your massage at any rate," he teased.

"No, I don't know him," Raquel told Jericho, looking a little nervous. She didn't recognize him but he sure as hell recognized her. Given her current situation, that was probably a bad sign. It could be anything really, the organization, a friend of the wrathites, the wrathites themselves, maybe even rebel spies, though admittedly that last one was taking things further than they really needed to go.

"Do you know if Priestess Io is available right now?" Nadine asked a random acolyte.

"I bet she's taking one of her naps right now," he replied with an amused look. "Perhaps I can help you instead?"

Order of Truth Main Entrance

"This emblem piece is for Raquel," Fizza answered, her gaze still on the wagon. People were already heading inside, so she hoped he would stop brooding soon, otherwise she might have to go and be all encouraging and stuff. She'd just about exhausted her supply of optimism for the day, though.

Dining Hall

"Weyland, I'd like you to go over everything that happened with regard to this incident," Aaron explained.

"What? Introductions are over, already?" Weyland sarcastically replied.

"Oh I'll be getting around to your servants soon enough," he glanced at Arietta for a moment, not even bothering to hide his suspicion. "But first-" his gaze came back to Weyland, "-why not start with your encounter with Steinn? When did you two first meet? What possessed you to take in such a dangerous ... creature?"

"Don't you know?" Steinn chimed in from his seat, turning to face the conversation. With a smug look on his face, he said, "I play a mean game of chess."

"I'm sure you do, savage," Aaron cooly fired back.

[Nanami Touko]

Eva kept quiet and followed along with Raquel and the gang. There wasn't much for her to add and all she was really doing was remarking at all the people inside of the cathedral. <I hope they don't get caught up in the fighting. While I don't mind sticking it to these knights, as I'd assume Raquel's got a good reason for it, I don't want civilians in the mix...>

[Ether]

"So you're givng it up, huh? That's mighty generous of you." Angelica replied, before commenting on the increasingly obvious.

"So what's so interesting about the wagon?"

***

"I'm not worried about that right now, Reign... I mean I guess the answer is obvious but are you okay?" Faatina asked, feeling somewhat guilty that he would even bring that up... he most likely meant it as a joke, so the feeling didn't last, and atleast his spirits seemed reasonably high all things considered.

***

If there was one thing Arietta didn't bloody like, it was the look that pile of feathers was giving her. She wasn't certain on the subtext but she had an inkling. All she knew was that if he was gonna try and coerce her back to that place he'd have a hell of an ordeal in front of him.

[Toogee]

Back at the mansion, Jam had come inside through another door and journeyed through the halls to see what all the commotion was about. As she came closer to the dining hall, she realized how quiet it was. She didn't hear any fighting, a funny way to realize that her group was missing. She recalled hearing something about a mission; it was clear that that is where they went. She must have been so distracted with her new staff that she failed to notice everyone leaving. The dancer also heard a little something about an envoy to the king paying a visit...and that everyone should clear out.

"This must be the guy," Jam thought, as she hid behind a wall adjacent to the hall. The dancer thought about turning back to retreat upstairs and find Greta, but it seemed the envoy was looking for information. Even with all she had heard, Jam felt she wasn't getting the whole picture about what Raquel's group was up to. The details she did have were so messed up, she couldn't make a coherent story out of them.

Eager to hear another version of events, Jam knelt down on the floor, hiding behind the wall so as to not interrupt the proceedings between Weyland, Steinn, and the envoy Aaron.

[-Cynthia-]

Nadya

What's with this group and fightin' indoors anyway? Cramped spaces with no escape routes is a good way to end up dead, she thought to herself, feeling too unsociable to talk at the moment.

Veronika

She certainly seems eager to get going, Veronika took note of Raquel's friend Nadine. "We spoke with Priestess Io earlier about looking into the archives here. Would you be willing to guide our way back there?" she asked. She wasn't sure she remembered the way and it would look less suspicious to be traveling with a disciple of Truth.

Edited February 24, 2014 by -Cynthia-

[Phoenix]

Hall of Truth

"A little irritated and my depth perception is pretty much gone, but I'm alright," he assured Faatina.

"Stay on the move during fights, sidestepping mostly; that's one way to compensate," Nadine advised.

"The archives?" The acolyte looked more than a little surprised at the request. He was obviously veiling some of his offense. "Ahem," he cleared his throat. "Access to the archives is reserved only for certain members of our Order. You cannot go in there."

Reign was a little surprised at first, but then realized that Io was bending the rules a bit, though for what purpose was yet to be seen. "Heh." Guess we're only getting in there if we speak to Io in person. Figures.

"Wait, but Io said we could ..." Raquel quickly looked to Veronika and Reign hoping for some kind of confirmation. "... right?"

"Perhaps you misheard her. On some occasions we may send someone to retrieve a record or two from the archives for reference, but only for those who've gone through the proper channels, first. We would never bring anyone into the archives, themselves. Thousands of years of history and arcane knowledge is preserved there," the acolyte explained. "That's far too dangerous."

"Forget this guy, we need Io for this," Reign whispered to Veronika.

Trying to get into the archives? Interesting ... Simon mused as he stealthily listened in from a safe distance. He'd taken a seat since Raquel first spotted him and was now facing away from her and the rest of the arrivals.

Order of Truth Entrance

"It would be a bit much to go for this one after Amon made that deal with Steinn," Malik explained, though he personally didn't mind taking the easier of the two emblem pieces. It was out of his hands, though.

"There's nothing interesting about that wagon, especially not after traveling with that loud metal one," Fizza answered, still sounding listless, or at the very least bored. "I'm just waiting for Amon."

<"Maybe I should go drag him out of there,"> Malik muttered.

"I wouldn't bother, it's not like we're in a hurry."

Wagon

Inside the back of the wagon, Amon was still seated and holding up the trinket he'd received from Aisha. It was glowing like it always did when there was an emblem piece nearby, but given that this emblem piece wasn't even for them, he was having reservations about getting involved.

Greta was also there, having tagged along for the sole purpose of sharing her notes with Raquel at some point, but having missed her first chance due to riding in the back with most of the others. Now, as she was about to get out, she spoke to him. "Pretty ... that your emblem detector thing?"

"Yyyeah," Amon slowly answered, not looking away from the light. "Right now it's probably reacting to Raquel and the emblem inside, and with both being so close it'll be impossible to pinpoint, but it was a lot brighter than usual when as we closed in on the archives so ... good chance its there. Of course that has nothing to do with me anymore, I'm only here for any information that might be in the archives."

"Y'all can't just share the piece until there's more to go around?" Greta frowned.

"None of us knows how to do what Lilith did when she first showed up ... and we're not exactly tempted to try it, either."

"Just call'er back and have her split it for ya then."

Amon had a counter waiting, but it turned out to be the wrong one and he ended up pausing, trying to think of something else. Raquel obviously wouldn't call Lilith unless they were all about to die, but that was due to her history with the vasilus. It wasn't much of an excuse, really. Delaying Wrath essentially meant the more pieces the better, right? So why not split this one once they found it just like the first one they encountered? "Well, I guess that's one way to handle this, but I doubt Raquel would be up for it ..."

"Doubt she's up for the reality of bein' a decent merchant either but damned if I'm not gonna beat her over the head with these essentials," Greta shot back, waving a thin stack of notes in front of her.

Dining Hall

Steinn stood from his seat, leaving his drink at the table. "You'll only have enough context to make sense of this 'partnership' as some have called it, if I begin the tale ..."

"Oh, do tell, Savage." Aaron's consistent use of the phrase was starting to visibly irk Weyland. It was the annoying irony, really. Steinn was among the more civilized and well mannered fallen and he even had a cooler head on his shoulders than Aaron could ever hope to have ... and yet he was getting the brunt of this culture bashing term. It was just a bit much for the Professor on top of everything else going on right now.

"You see, I've long believed that the key to my people's survival is in stability, not the kind of wanton conquest you've only just tasted of," Steinn began, slowly approaching Aaron. "Some of my people share my views, but most don't. They've forgotten what horrors befell us at the whims of the divine entities lurking throughout every corner of Sardius. They've also forgotten that these humans they wish so badly to subjugate have a god on their side, while we only have an apathetic and almost entirely absent shadow. If it were truly our place to conquer Sardius, we should have a much better hand than this. As it stands, even if Valdimarr's campaign succeeds, the god of humanity, Wrath will-" <No ... wait.>

Hmm? And here I thought he had this all rehearsed and ready for me. Too bad. Let's listen for the real truth now, shall we?

"Heh ..." Steinn closed his eyes and pressed his fingers against his forehead. "I'd just remembered that my brother, Valdimarr, believes I'm wrong about our conquest ... that we can overcome the God of Wrath. A comforting thought, but I was unable to learn more."

How ... oddly forthcoming ...

"That aside, this invasion plan is flawed but will still cause irreparable damage if it progresses. I came to Sardius with a twofold plan in mind, to orchestrate Valdimarr's destruction and to sabotage the plan itself. For that, I need powerful human allies, such as Weyland. Unfortunately things are progressing faster than I anticipated, likely due to the architects."

"Painting yourself as a well-intentioned extremist, hmm? Interesting."

Edited February 24, 2014 by Phoenix

[-Cynthia-]

Veronika

Well he didn't seem to take that well. Perhaps this priestess is acting outside her order... "Could you perhaps rouse Priestess Io from her nap so that we may discuss this matter with her? It is of great importance that we be allowed entrance into the archives," she asked the acolyte.

[ReformBlade]

"I second that." Jericho spoke up in a straightforward and genuine tone. "If you don't trust us to walk in freely, fine, but you'd probably trust one of your own confirming it, right?" It seemed straightforward to him, but the redhead figured this acolyte person would worm his way out of it with some annoying words. Jericho would hold his tongue as long as he could, It would suck to give off such a terrible first or second impression to his employer, depending on how much she actually payed attention of course.

Waking with a start, Mushirah found herself asleep at a table, one she knew perfectly. Right off the bat, she knew something was up, some form of trick or hallucination, especially when she saw her parents in the room with her. "Mom? Dad?" she said, eagerness and a hint of childlike wonder seeping in. There was no response beyond casual glances back at her, smiling as they went back to doing what they were doing, she couldn't make much out since she was still trying to piece together what exactly was going on. That moment subsided as suddenly a plate of hot fish and potatoes was placed in front of her, her mom smiling at her, "You need to keep your strength up, dear, you've only just come back! And to think, you had to go and get hurt like that just to learn your lesson..." "What? Mom, i'm fine, really, it's... no big deal..." Mushirah replied, losing all her steam as she spoke up, wiggling her stump in a futile attempt that unfortunately made her point seem nonexistent. "It's... look it's fine, it's not the end of the world, right? I can still, like... use magic, and walk and read and I guess I can try to relearn drawing and stuff, but-" she was cut off by her dad this time, "Now now, take one step at a time here, don't need to go breaking everything else now, right? You only just got back, relax." confidence draining, Mushirah didn't really want to argue with her parents, not even bothering wondering why she was at home at this point. Unfortunately, or perhaps quite fortunately, her dream seemed to lose its focus as she slept soundly, in reality, on a super friggin comfy bed. Hell yeah.

[Phoenix]

Hall of Truth

"Well ..." the acolyte crossed his arms and lowered his head, closing his eyes at the end. "I suppose I could see if she'll clear this matter up, but you won't be gaining entrance to the archives in either case. I can assure you of that much."

There's no way in hell these guys are going to go into the archives on our behalf and bring out an emblem piece. This guy has no idea what he's talking about. We seriously need to lose him and find Io so we can get on with this, Reign muttered to himself.

"Please remain here," he pointed at the spot where Veronika was standing. "I'll go find the priestess and return shortly." Without uttering another word, he was off.

As Shadrak approached the front of the pack, he asked, "Okay what'd I miss so far? Is the priestess around?"

[Toogee]

Dining Hall

Steinn stood from his seat, leaving his drink at the table. "You'll only have enough context to make sense of this 'partnership' as some have called it, if I begin the tale ..."

"Oh, do tell, Savage." Aaron's consistent use of the phrase was starting to visibly irk Weyland. It was the annoying irony, really. Steinn was among the more civilized and well mannered fallen and he even had a cooler head on his shoulders than Aaron could ever hope to have ... and yet he was getting the brunt of this culture bashing term. It was just a bit much for the Professor on top of everything else going on right now.

"You see, I've long believed that the key to my people's survival is in stability, not the kind of wanton conquest you've only just tasted of," Steinn began, slowly approaching Aaron. "Some of my people share my views, but most don't. They've forgotten what horrors befell us at the whims of the divine entities lurking throughout every corner of Sardius. They've also forgotten that these humans they wish so badly to subjugate have a god on their side, while we only have an apathetic and almost entirely absent shadow. If it were truly our place to conquer Sardius, we should have a much better hand than this. As it stands, even if Valdimarr's campaign succeeds, the god of humanity, Wrath will-" <No ... wait.>

Hmm? And here I thought he had this all rehearsed and ready for me. Too bad. Let's listen for the real truth now, shall we?

"Heh ..." Steinn closed his eyes and pressed his fingers against his forehead. "I'd just remembered that my brother, Valdimarr, believes I'm wrong about our conquest ... that we can overcome the God of Wrath. A comforting thought, but I was unable to learn more."

How ... oddly forthcoming ...

"That aside, this invasion plan is flawed but will still cause irreparable damage if it progresses. I came to Sardius with a twofold plan in mind, to orchestrate Valdimarr's destruction and to sabotage the plan itself. For that, I need powerful human allies, such as Weyland. Unfortunately things are progressing faster than I anticipated, likely due to the architects."

"Painting yourself as a well-intentioned extremist, hmm? Interesting."

Jam was getting a clearer view of what was going on. It was a tale of two brothers. One believed in expansion, the other in stabilization. Steinn wasn't doing this for any human's benefit but for the survival of his own country. The other brother, Valdimarr, was so assured of victory, he believed he could take down a god. Quite an arrogant bastard, she thought.

The dancer didn't exactly take Valdimarr's intentions as a "comforting thought", so why did Steinn? She was getting the distinct feeling that, had things gone better for their country, Steinn would be at his brother's side. Even if they win and Steinn gains control of his homeland, who's to say that he won't turn to conquest the moment conditions satisfy him. Jam was getting the distinct feeling that he wasn't so much an ally as the lesser of two evils.

She sat down on the floor and continued listening while in hiding. Time to get comfy; this was going to be a long story.

[Ether]

"Well... as long as you're sure... and if you ever need help with anything, just let me know." Faatina replied, before the proceedings began in earnest. It seemed her time to speak had just about ended, so the paladin stood in silence for the time being.

***

"Steinn, huh? You'll need to fill me in on the details, seems like I missed quite a doozy." Angelica replied with a smile, before turning back to Fizza.

"Oh, so Amon is in there. That'd explain it, I guess."

***

If Weyland had been annoyed at the Avian envoy's use of terminology, it was nothing compared to the relatively small figure at Steinn's side... though Annelise had not voiced her concerns, quite yet, this man was walking a very thin line, and falling from it meant becoming a very flightless little bird. It took the majority of the pseudo-reaper's willpower to keep from stepping in between her lord and this foul man, though at this point no amount of willpower could prevent the daggers being glared directly at Aaron's throat.

***

Well, seems the focus had shifted, atleast for now. Probably best to wait this out and see, for now.

[ReformBlade]

"Apparently she's off taking a nap?" Jericho said, a bit confused on why such a, in his eyes, revered person would be so flippant in duties, but then again he had no other basis for this beyond ideals. "Either way, apparently that guy is gonna go get her, hopefully." Looking back towards the leaving acolyte, thinking to himself, Ten gold says he doesn't actually try to wake her up...

[Phoenix]

Hall of Truth

"Taking a nap?" Shadrak echoed, sounding confused. "Well ..." he thought about the revelation a bit more. "She did say she was nocturnal ... though you'd think she'd be on a better schedule."

"I'm sure she was pulling her own weight last night, then," Nadine chimed in.

Meanwhile, Raquel kept her eyes on Simon. She hadn't lost track of him and was curious to see if what had happened in the beginning was just a coincidence or not. Come on ... look this way.

Oh Discovery, you don't need to turn to total strangers for attention. You have so many willing eyes already within your own group, Hypnos teased.

He wasn't acting like a 'total stranger' would which is why I'm trying to find out what's going on.

Why not simply ask?

"I'm sure," Reign answered. "It'll probably be expensive as hell, but since we're going to Neviskotia at some point anyway, I'll see if I can get it fixed. Helps the eye is still there at least. It's not like they have to create a new one."

Outside

"There's not much to tell, really," Fizza explained. "Amon took a deal Raquel couldn't decide on fast enough. Of course now he's been down ever since."

Dining Hall

"Your word choice, not mine," Steinn softly countered Aaron's comment. "Of those living up here in the north, I've found Weyland to be among the most promising."

"If I recall correctly, you said I wasn't 'bound by social status' and the like?" Weyland chimed in.

Steinn nodded at that. "It doesn't matter if they think you're insane or misguided. All that matters is the true threat. Once I proved to him what the true threat was, he was on board. Only a leader of strength can react in such a way in Weyland's situation."

"Well," Aaron interjected, "A leader of intelligence would be far preferable, but I can see that's sorely lacking in this story. Joining forces with someone from an enemy nation instead of passing the word along to His Majesty, but please, continue."

"Heh, what passes for intelligence in this land required hundreds of unintended deaths before your leaders could even decide whether or not to react, and once they did, their first target for aggression is none other than myself. That is how utterly incompetent I've found the ruling class of this nation to be. Your King is ... especially amusing," Steinn countered. "All of his misguided anger toward me, sending you here to see just how deeply indoctrinated Weyland is ... it's all quite laughable. If he wants to act on his emotions, he should simply do so. There shouldn't be any need to justify himself before the people in this instance. He is their King, after all. His hesitation is ... truly laughable."

"Enough! You'll not stand here and insult the king or the nobility. The fact of the matter is that you're manipulating a prominent figure into doing your bidding, and you, Weyland, are withholding vital information which is essentially treason. Your shenanigans have cost hundreds of innocent people their lives!"

"Come back out of your ass," Weyland hissed. "The only information I 'withheld' was Steinn's identity as a fallen. The king was plenty capable of figuring all of this out on his own, and lo and behold, he has, hence your assignment here. It doesn't take a lot of digging to learn where the name 'Devlinos' comes from. If you want someone to blame for last night's attack, you need only look in a mirror."

As Aaron's bodyguards stood from the table, a sinister looking grin appeared on Steinn's face. Aaron quickly motioned them back into their seats, though. "Hmph, being free from any real responsibility has left you blind to the burdens of guiding an entire nation in a time of war, clearly. No need to argue our points any further. If one of you would kindly continue from where we left off ..."

[Ether]

Well, that escalated quickly. As the envoy's guards began to stand, Arietta took a step forward, placing herself directly between the man and Weyland, about to draw her weapon, until the nobleman waved them down. Seems the man wasn't entirely incapable of making good choices, after all.

***

"They can fix something like that in Neviskotia?" Faatina asked, a glimmer of light in her eyes. Something like that was truly incredible, even moreso if it could restore Reign to having use of both of his eyes.

***

"So Steinn offered Raquel an Emblem piece, and Amon jumped in when she faltered? I mean... the guy has connections I guess, but it seems like a lot to give away... what does he want you to do?" Angelica asked... this could get heavy.

***

"You're none to talk on holding one's wording, Avian." Annelise noted abruptly, her eyes fully shifted as they came back open, glowing a deep red, mirroring pools of fresh spilled blood as they shone with their wholly unnatural light.

[Snowy_One]

Robin sat out in the garden of the estate, calmly knapping away at a small stone she had picked up in the garden with not much on her mind. She hadn't gone to the archives with Raquel, and the reason being simple. Robin couldn't read Ursian and, as such, would be near-useless in any form of search for any text. Even if other things came up, seeing as this wasn't something big enough to warrant mobilizing the entire party for Raquel-escort-duty, she felt that this was the first time she could do something she felt like she hadn't done in ages.

Relax.

The stone she was shaping wasn't anything. It wasn't going to be an arrowhead, it wasn't going to be a knife, it probably wasn't even going to be a 'stone' by the end of this. Instead, she was simply hitting it and seeing how far she could get the shards and if they could hit a small flower just a short bit away. She had no reason to worry after all. She wasn't alone, she wasn't useless, and Raquel was safe. Heck, she might even construct a Zach-trap just for the fun of it. What would be good bait for a Zach-trap? A pie? A pile of tomes? Naughty paintings? Where had that damned leech of a painter vanished too anyways?

---

Alex sighed as he sat calmly in the corner of some obscure tavern. He had gotten paid and almost instantly booked it. He wasn't a coward by any means, but he had expected more... dainty and beautiful people. Not men and women who looked like... well... warriors. Ah well, a few more drinks, then off to paint a noble for cash.

---

Tia sat in a small corner of the library. She too had not gone for Raquel for reasons very simple. Though she'd love to visit the archive, if she did, she knew herself well enough to know that, in doing so, it would be very likely that Raquel would end up under investigation for missing tomes before long. Besides, there was plenty to practice and learn about right here! No reason to get Raquel in trouble and, who knows, maybe later she could even see what Connor was working on. She was certain he needed focus now, though she'd LOVE to find some way to learn more about alchemy first-hand, and there was no reason she couldn't just ask him later, right?

Besides, how on earth could a baby manage to project itself into the mind of another and accept a name before it was even out of the egg? THAT was something she wanted to know! Also, did this mean that Phee was part chicken? Chickens made eggs, which chicks hatched from, and Phee was part bird, right? Right?

Edited February 25, 2014 by Snowy_One

[Toogee]

As Jam continued to listen to the meeting within the dining hall, she was getting details about how the partnership between Weyland and Steinn came about. Also, Aaron was an ass. Verbal jabs were going back and forth, until Aaron's guards all stood up. Jam had to take a peek to see what was coming; was a battle about to erupt? She was relieved to see the guards sit back down at Aaron's command; the dancer did not want to know how that fight would have turned out. Jam settled back down against the wall, listening to the rest of the story.

"That was a close one..."

[Phoenix]

Hall of Truth

"So I hear," Reign replied. "And they're normally replacing eyes, not just fixing them like I need."

It took a few minutes, but eventually, the acolyte returned with Io in tow. She had some tea with her. likely to help her wake up; she looked as if she would pass out on the spot if left to her herself. "Again, I'm sorry about this, but I need you to explain to these people that they cannot enter the archives."

Io took a sip of the tea after coming to a stop between the acolyte and the group. "Oh, it's you people again. Hello," she gave a small wave with just a few fingers.

"Hey," Reign waved back.

"What's the meaning of this?!" Shadrak snapped. "You said if we defeated the knights we could access the archives."

"W-wha?" the acolyte stifled.

Io simply stood there for a moment, completely silent, and recalling a few things.

Outside

"Apparently Steinn doesn't want it affecting his mental state, but he's perfectly willing to pass it on to a subordinate if we pass it up," Fizza answered. "Raquel was too busy arguing and trying to clarify herself to really bother with the deal, and Amon ended up leaping at it~ The deal was to destroy these siege gate things the fallen are using as super warping devices. They can transport entire armies from fallen territory so I can see why they'd be a big deal. Until they're built, though, they won't be as heavily guarded ... so now's the time to move in on them."

Dining Hall

"Hmph. Steiiinn," Aaron hummed in annoyance, "calm your bodyguard." His own guards began focusing on Annelise, just in case she tried something.

Steinn shrugged slightly after glancing at her, not seeing a real issue with what she was doing. She didn't even have her scythe at the ready it seemed. "I see no problem here. Our culture generally meets aggression with aggression. Things only escalate when someone does something particularly ..." Steinn paused to grin, "... stupid. At any rate, Weyland, if you'd like to continue from here ..."

His turn, huh? Weyland sighed. "There's little else to tell, honestly. We've been exchanging information and devising plans to accomplish our mutual goals, mine of protecting people from that insane brother of his, and Steinn's goal of preventing a war that will eventually lead to the destruction of his own people."

"Tell me more of this," Aaron eyes squinted at Weyland. "What did your plans entail, exactly?"

[-Cynthia-]

"Did you change your mind from earlier?" Veronika asked Priestess Io. If she decides not to let us into the archives, then what should we do? Causing a fight in the cathedral in the middle of the day would just get us arrested- but that emblem piece could be important...

[Ether]

"I see... I'm not sure if that makes it easier or more difficult..." Faatina noted, before the priestess showed up, which promptly caused Shadrak to shout... so much for subtlety.

***

As Lord Steinn made his exchange with Aaron, Annelise herself shifted her gaze the the guardsmen who's focus had been drawn to her, thoroughly examining the two fighters, practically dissecting them with her eyes. The preceedings themselves appeared to continue, though her purpose here wasn't to attribute to those, so they weren't of much concern to her... what was of concern was the actions of the intrusive inspector and his entourage.

***

"Destroying a gate that can warp whole armies, huh... you'll probably need a lot of high impact magic and siege artillery to do that..." Angelica replied... it was a shame she hadn't been there at the time... with everything the guild had at it's disposal getting rid of some gate shouldn't be a problem... if only she could have thrown her hat into the ring. Oh well.

[ReformBlade]

Jericho looked at each person when they spoke up, not having any real input on the situation since Veronika already voiced his response. Instead he just kept on observing, wondering what was underneath that lady's extremely un-enthused exterior. Hopefully it was just a front, or at least just the current side he was seeing and that there was reason to believe this person was in charge. All things considered though, nothing hinged on if Jericho believed who has authority or not, and he fortunately knew that. Well... at least I don't actually owe that money. He thought to himself, a mental high five ensuing.

Edited February 26, 2014 by ReformBlade

[Phoenix]

Hall of Truth

"Should be much easier," Reign explained in a short quip that was immediately followed by a scowl at Shadrak. He understood full well that if Io had indeed changed her mind, then they had either wasted a whole lot of time planning and coming all the way out here, or they were going to have to take the more obviously illegal path if they were going to get the thing, and then it would probably be more than two of those knights they had to face down. Way more.

"Hmm, it looks like you're missing someone," Io noted when she didn't see Amon. "Diverging paths, maybe ...?"

Shadrak looked over his shoulder and Amon wasn't there after all. "He'll catch up ... though I guess it's not as important to him anymore, not with Steinn dangling that emblem piece the fallen had in front of him."

"Priestess," the acolyte gently got her attention. "Perhaps now you should explain the situation for them? I doubt they'll take the word of a lowly acolyte such as myself over the person who brought about this confusion in the first place."

"Confusion is something people do to themselves, so try not to make too many assumptions ... especially about the archives," she warned, though it was difficult to tell if she was talking to the group or the acolyte at this point. She was looking at her tea at the time which made it even more difficult to be certain. After another sip, she decided to clear up the matter. "If you want to enter the archives, you know what you have to do. Nothing has changed."

"What?" the acolyte exclaimed. "Priestess-" "Let them," she cut him off.

She took one last sip, finishing off the tea and then handed it off to the acolyte. "Most people who want to access the archives aren't willing to fight for it, either because they don't realize they have the option, or they don't have the courage. You people know you have the option and aren't lacking in courage, so I say go for it. When you have everyone you need, let me know. I'll take you to the outer chamber," she explained before turning toward the seats. There were plenty of free ones and she definitely wanted to relax right now.

"Whew," Shadrak sighed. "It's about time ..."

Outside

"Steinn seems to think otherwise, that or he has faith we'll get a hold of the tools we need when we need them," Fizza shrugged. "Either way, if the mission's to take out one of those gates, then I'll make sure our luck holds long enough for us to get it done. The rest is up to Amon, I guess."

"What's that mean?" Malik raised an eyebrow at the unusually vague comment.

"Oh there he is," she spoke up and smiled as Amon emerged from the wagon. Greta wasn't far behind and the gentleman from Sanctuary even helped her down.

"Sorry for the wait," Amon greeted them.

[spoiler=Dining Hall (just making the post smaller at a glance)]"Rigging this estate was part of the plan, though more than a quarter of the traps were set off during the attack last night," Weyland explained.

"This place is booby trapped?!" Aaron looked around at any remotely suspicious part of the dining hall, and even his own eating utensils didn't escape suspicion.

"Fidgety little thing, aren't you?" Steinn teased, though he was hardly friendly about it. "The traps aren't intended for you, and they've all been disarmed for the time being. We don't want to have any accidents."

"Well at least you lot have SOME sense ... booby trapping a manse instead of moving to a more defensible location ..." Aaron shook his head at them. Then he paused ... glancing at Weyland in order to make eye contact. Once he had it ... "Or perhaps this place is more defensible than it appears ...? You did fight off monsters and their savage handlers with only a few casualties, after all."

"Thirteen casualties," Weyland corrected, clearly offended.

"Well that's nothing compared to what the citizens of Europa had to endure thanks to your way of handling a national security threat. Honestly, it's what you deserve."

That might have set most people off, but Weyland was different. "It's what I deserve? It's not what they deserved, and if we could have trusted you to aid us in the first place ... no ... no, there is no trust here, not among the higher classes. The simple fact is the Ursian military is too distracted by the war, and the nobility is caught up in its own political nonsense. Ursium's people have to look out for each other for the time being. I'll do my part, but if you insist on blaming last night's crisis on Steinn and myself, and put us on a shorter leash for it, then the people are the ones who are going to suffer in the long run."

"Really? You honestly see yourself as a champion of the people?" Aaron frowned in disbelief.

"Hardly, but in order to do what I can, I need the freedom to do as I see fit. The more you hinder us, the more you slow us down with these formal inquiries, the more you stifle us with threats, the more difficult it is going to be to handle the real problem here."

"And now I'm wondering exactly what you think the real problem is."

"The root of all problems is ignorance, but I believe in this case it's the impending invasion ... the one we can only stop if the King stops breathing down our necks and allows us to work on solutions," Weyland explained.

Aaron sighed. "But don't you see you're working with one of those savages to try and stop them? Isn't there any inkling of doubt in your mind as to Steinn's intentions?"

"Of course there isn't," Steinn answered for him. "Our partnership is solely for the purpose of putting down the current threat. Once I'm emperor, we'll return to the status quo for the time being. Ursium was never meant to be a military target. There's no sanity in attacking a nation protected by so many gods, one of which would see us destroyed at some point."

"You hear that, Weyland? Once this is over he'll stab you in the back on his way back home."

"I'll gladly put you down-" <And the king of Ursium while I'm at it,> "-but I respect Weyland enough to part on friendly terms when this is over. Frankly, I've learned a lot from him."

"Now who's making threats?" The king? The KING?! How dare this ... contemptuous piece of filth even think about laying a hand on our king?! Aaron wasn't saying much, but after his passive quip, his face grew ever angrier.

[Nanami Touko]

Eva had been watching the exchange between whoever this priestess was and the acolyte, snickering at his reaction. Whatever had happened, he'd been overruled, and it was always amusing to her when someone so sure of themselves was proven wrong. Not that it really mattered, she just wanted to enjoy the little things. "So who else are we waiting for, anyway? And how many of these knights d'you think we'll be fighting? Would be nice to know what we're up against... If you know, yourself, that is."

[Ether]

"Well, that's good." Faatina added, as the goings on continued.

***

"You seem to not have heard me the first time, Avian. Perhaps I need make it more clear... hold not but your tongue, hold your cancerous thoughts in check as well. You've far more to worry about than a rigged utensil if you do not cease your foul conjecture against Lord Devlinos." Annelise barked, by this point her respect for the diplomat having fallen far enough into the negative that she had no qualms with stripping his prized little wings clean of feathers and hanging him by the bare flesh of them from the rafters... though not without the go ahead from Steinn, of course.

***

And people wondered why Arietta ditched life as a noblewoman... way too much bullshit for her liking. Atleast if you cracked a guy's skull open in a bar brawl, you'd probably get off with a thwack on the wrist and a warning to lay off the booze for a week or two...

***

Well, I could be wrong... if it's not actually a gate and is more of a concentration of magical energy used to fuel a mass warp, you should only need bring it under wraps with a magic seal... as long as it's defensible you shouldn't have any issues as long as it holds, even if you can't destroy the thing." Angelica replied... though where could they come across a magic seal?